my timesThe Korea Times
LifestyleTravel & Food

Travel & Food

Korea Times
About Us
Introduction
History
Contact Us
Products & Services
Subscribe
E-paper
RSS Service
Content Sales
Site Map
Policy
Code of Ethics
Ombudsman
Privacy Policy
Youth Protection Policy
Terms of Service
Copyright Policy
Family Site
Hankookilbo
Dongwha Group
FacebookXYoutubeInstagram
CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

Ibis Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun opens today

Ibis Ambassador Seoul DongdaemunBy Kim Se-jeong Ibis Ambassador Seoul Dongdaeman’s grand opening happens today. It is the France-based Accor hotel’s 19th property in Korea. The new hotel could not have a better location.It is in front of the Euljiro 4-ga subway station, where lines Nos.2 and 5 stop. It is also just a 10-minute walk away to Dongdaemun Design Plaza and Gwangjang Market, two major tourist attractions.The Dongdaemun property, like other Accor properties in the country, is managed by Ambassador Group. It has 242 rooms, all equipped with Wi-Fi service, a 32-inch flat screen TV with cable, shower, safety, fridge, tea and coffee makers, telephone, light and noise insulation, hair dryer and slippers.The hotel has three room types ― standard double room, standard twin room and standard triple room.Its restaurant Oopen Restaurant serves a variety of pasta, grilled and fusion dishes, while its Grab & Go bar at the lobby serves both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and snacks during Happy Hour between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.Its sports

Jun 30, 2016
Ibis Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun opens today

'Descendants of the Sun' dominates drama scene this year

Posters of KBS drama series “Uncontrollably Fond”By Park Jin-hai“Descendants of the Sun,” KBS mega-hit drama has dominated local dramas for the first half of this year.  The period virtually started with the “Descendants” and ended with it.The 16-episode war time romance drama, starring Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo, has left many viewers sleepless at night both in and out of Korea.The first TV series jointly produced by Korean and Chinese production companies and aired in both nations from February to April, instantly emerged as a huge hallyu hit.“Descendants of the Sun” / Courtesy of KBSBased on high quality content, the drama, featuring   a romance between an army captain and a female doctor in the fictional war-torn country of Uruk, premiered with 14.3 percent viewership and ended with a nearly miraculous 40 percent rating.In China, “Descendants” attracted billions of viewers on iQiyi, a Chinese broadcasting and video sharing platform. The drama’s popularity, mainly stemming from its lead actor

Jun 30, 2016
'Descendants of the Sun' dominates drama scene this year

Korean music takes on new vibes

  Jazz musician Shin Kwan-woong, left, collaborates with daegeum (bamboo flute) player Lee Saeng-kang at a showcase introducing the 2016 Yeowoorak Festival at the National Theater of Korea in Seoul on June 7. / Courtesy of National Theater of KoreaBy Kwon Mee-yooKorean music lovers eagerly await July, imagining what this year’s Yeowoorak Festival will bring, exploring the endless possibilities of gugak (traditional Korean music).Yeowoorak Festival, organized and held by the National Theater of Korea (NTOK) during its off-season, has become a staple for the theater since its inauguration in 2010. Rooted in traditional Korean music, the festival brings together a variety of artists from different backgrounds to breathe new life into the folk genres.The festival’s title, Yeowoorak, comes from an abbreviation of “yeogi woori eumagi itda,” meaning "here is our music.""We wanted to introduce new artists to new audiences and provide the artists opportunities to embark on a new adventure through the Yeowoorak Festival," said NTOK CEO Ahn Ho-sang. "It is all

Jun 23, 2016
Korean music takes on new vibes

20 beaches with hidden charms

Hyeopjae Beach on Jeju Island has crystal-clear waters and white sand. / Courtesy of KTOKTO recommends lesser-known but clean beaches nationwideBy Kim RahnVacationers naturally head for the beach during summer. In Korea, where the population is dense, major beaches are crowded with up to 1 million vacationers a day at peak times.But visitors are not always satisfied with the popular beaches: high popularity means many people, congestion, lack of room for tanning, rip-off prices and lost and crying children.Especially it is likely that the waters and environment of such beaches won’t be very clean during summer vacation because of the high number of users.To help vacationers find cleaner beaches, the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) and the Korea Marine Environment Management Corp. jointly selected 20 beaches offering pleasant environments.The corporation evaluated water quality at the beaches, while the organization studied the average number of visitors there and nearby tourist attractions.“Nearly 52 percent of beachgoers visit five major beaches such as Haeundae in Busa

Jun 23, 2016
20 beaches with hidden charms

Dongdaemun Design Plaza, futuristic landmark of Seoul

A view of the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) located in eastern Seoul shows its parametric design with the exterior made of 45,133 aluminum panels of different patterns and sizes. / Courtesy of Seoul Design FoundationBy Kim Jae-heunThere has been an age-long discussion over the most representative landmark of Korea. Some say the Gyeongbokgung Palace for its ancient beauty, while others argue for N Seoul Tower, soaring on top of Namsan. However, it is difficult to pinpoint a symbolic one like the Eiffel Tower for France, Tower Bridge for the United Kingdom or the Great Wall for China.A two-year-old building in central Seoul eyes the No. 1 landmark position for Korea, overcoming the controversies regarding the neo-futuristic building.Alessandro Mendini’s “Amuleto” is shown in a recent exhibition by the Italian designer in the DDP. Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) soon became the talk of the town once it opened in March 2014. The spaceship-like structure designed by top-notch Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid (1950-2016),

Jun 16, 2016
Dongdaemun Design Plaza, futuristic landmark of Seoul

Guests dressed in all white for Diner en Blanc

Diner en Blanc participants wave white napkins in the air during the Diner en Blanc Seoul event held Saturday in Banpo Hangang Park, southern Seoul.  / Courtesy of Diner en Blanc SeoulBy Yun Suh-youngDiner en Blanc, a special event where people wear all white from head to toe and eat dinner together, was held for the first time in Seoul, Saturday.The event was held at a square across from Some Sevit, a floating island at Banpo Hangang Park. One thousand participants clad in white adorned the scene, creating a spectacle against the backdrop of the colorfully illuminated artificial island.The event, which started in France in 1988, expanded its presence across the world to over 60 cities including New York, Quebec, Barcelona, London, Sydney, Singapore, Stockholm, Tokyo and Shanghai. Seoul was the fourth Asian city to hold the event and Busan, which will be hosting it later this year, will be the fifth. In 2016, several more cities will join the list including Sao Paolo, Budapest and Las Vegas. About 100,000 people have participated in the event so far.The Seoul event was held in c

Jun 12, 2016
Guests dressed in all white for Diner en Blanc

Osaka most popular summer vacation destination: data

Japan's Osaka remained the top overseas destination for South Korean summer vacationers for the second consecutive year in 2016, data released by a local tour agency showed Sunday.Osaka was followed by Bangkok, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong in the rankings of popular foreign vacation spots among locals, Seoul-based Interpark Tour said.Interpark unveiled the rankings after analyzing international air tickets bought by Koreans in May for departures between June and September.London ranked third last year but slid to 13th place this year apparently due to terrorist threats throughout Europe.By contrast, Guam has surged from 14th to sixth, because of increased flights by low-cost carriers.Interpark officials said South Korean travelers' interest has gradually been shifting from crowded destinations like Paris and London to unique places, like the southern French region, pointing to a spike in travel packages involving stays in Nice, Aries and Avignon. (Yonhap)

Jun 12, 2016

Basking in music, youth

Musicians perform during the 2015 Ultra Korea Music Festival at Jamsil Olympic Stadium in southern Seoul. / Courtesy of Ultra Korea Music FestivalSummer music festivals kick offBy Park Jin-haiTake off your shoes and get ready to move your feet. The season that will make music fans forget about the heat and bask in the strong beat of music has arrived.Ultra Korea 2016, one of the coolest electronic music festivals in Asia, kicks off Friday for a three-day run at the Jamsil Olympic Stadium in southern Seoul.Organized by the Miami-born Ultra Music Festival, it has grown into a major event, attracting 110,000 participants last year. Marking its fifth year, Ultra Korea brings world top-ranked DJs to Seoul this year. Headliners include Avicii, Afrojack, Armin Van Buuren, Martin Garrix, Axwell Λ Ingrosso and deadmau5.U.K. heavy metal band Raven performs during the Pentaport Rock Festival in Incheon last year. / Courtesy of Pentaport Rock FestivalSwedish musician Avicii, known for the megahit “Wake Me Up,” is a two-time Grammy Award nominee. Dutch DJ Afrojack has

Jun 9, 2016
Basking in music, youth

Soul searching through temple and hanok stays

Dahmsojung is one of the hanok stay venues at Bukchon Hanok Village in central Seoul. / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan GovernmentBy Kim Se-jeong Serenity is a scarce commodity in contemporary urban life. People are always surrounded by people, buildings and cars; and there’s no time or the energy to think about life.That’s where temple stay programs in Seoul come in. They can bring back the peace, self-reflection and a good-night sleep that people need.Serenity is only one of many things that temple stay programs can offer. Most of the temples are historic, offering an opportunity to have a glimpse of the history of Korea and Buddhism here. Rare experiences of full bowing, meditation, tea ceremonies and meditating with prayer with beads further enrich your stay.The temple cuisine is comprised of vegetable. It may be challenging but is still worth trying because it is part of healing. The same goes for sleeping. It’s not a quality mattress, but it’s still an experience.Eight temples in Seoul offer the temple stay: Bongeun, Hwagye, Gwanmun, G

Jun 9, 2016
Soul searching through temple and hanok stays

Business hotels sprouting in Myeong-dong

The executive floor lounge at Tmark Grand Hotel Myeongdong in central Seoul / Courtesy of HanaTourBy Kim RahnMid-priced hotels are mushrooming in downtown Seoul, backed by a surging number of Chinese tourists.They are especially clustering around Myeong-dong, the top shopping district in Seoul among foreign tourists. Unlike global hotel chains that have usually focused on luxury hotels, local operators are leading the “business hotel war” in the tourist destination.HanaTour’s Tmark Grand HotelHanaTour, the nation’s largest tour agency, opened Tmark Grand Hotel Myeongdong on June 1.This is the agency’s third hotel, following Center Mark Hotel in Insa-dong and Tmark Hotel Myeongdong in Chungmuro.The 20-story building has 576 rooms including 30 suites. Each is equipped with a 43-inch LED TV, bathtub, goose down and all-cotton bedding, and high-speed free Internet.Guests at L7 Hotel Myeongdong can take a ride on a rickshaw to major tourist destinations in Seoul./  Courtesy of Lotte HotelThe hotel has a pool, which is rare in a business hotel, as well as

Jun 9, 2016
Business hotels sprouting in Myeong-dong
previous page
208209210211212
next page

Most Read in Lifestyle